A couple months ago, I wanted to go out somewhere close to home for a walk. Sort of like a precursor to a commitment to hiking. I had to stay close to home but I wanted some sunshine and a bit of fresh air. So I headed to the nearby Onehunga Bay Reserve and the foreshore. The Onehunga foreshore is still being worked on and when restoration is finished, there will be new parklands, beaches and provide easier access to the Manukau Harbour.
It was a very pleasant day and the sun was forgiving which is saying a lot down here. At this moment, there's not much to do here but exercise and relax. There's lots of open space for a good walk or run... and heaven for dogs! Of course, a great place for some nice photos too!
Just before heading over the bridge, I insisted on taking a couple of photos.
Made it over the bridge and needed another shot so I was called narcissistic. So I promptly returned to taking photos of the area instead...
Taumanu Reserve opened to the public late last year which means easy access to a couple of beach areas to the locals.
Final flowers of the iconic Kiwi Christmas tree for the summer season. I was quite surprised that there were still some red flowers when I took this photo. Pohutukawa trees are usually in full bloom and very obvious around Christmas time so I certainly wasn't expecting to see any flowers.
Great place for bird lovers to come watch a variety of birds!
A day out on the beach for a family and friends picnic is now possible for all busy city folk. With it central location and super easy access by way of buses or the train, you don't need to drive far.
Saw this group of buddies enjoying some KFC and it made me want some so bad!
But I persevered in my bid for a healthier afternoon... took a photo to remind myself why I was on this walk in the first place hahaha...
Just behind the reserve is SH20 motorway. And if you go over the pedestrian crossing bridge, you can finish the visit in a loop.
Tried taking a photo of the bridge and accidentally made it look like a dark day...
A final goodbye at the end of the loop to the beautiful Onehunga lagoon. I'm really looking forward to seeing further development to the area. Can't wait for all the cafes and eateries to start popping up!
Have you visited here? What's your favourite local spot?
Annnnnd it's finally here in New Zealand! Anyone who's a fan of The Body Shop would have known of the British Rose collection when it first released. If you didn't know already, this range has been added to The Body Shop staples! Unless the sales do badly, I'm pretty sure it's here to stay and I'm super glad about it. I've been waiting for its release in New Zealand stores the moment I first heard about it a couple of months ago simply because the packaging is so beautifully done. So naturally, I spent hours on the internet trying to decide which products I'd buy and when the day finally came, I went straight to the shop to get my hands on them asap. My decision did change once I tried out the products at the store and so here's the post about them.
For the release event, if you were a member, you got 25% off any of the pre-made gift packs as well as any product from the British Rose range. I love anything with pre-made gift deals because I like to buy in bulk throughout the year then break up the package and make my own little gift packs to give as Christmas or birthday presents.
The British Rose Collection is a rather large one with both a wide variety of skin and body care products as well as bits and bobs of cosmetics. The roses are grown organically in Herefordshire, England then are handpicked, air-dried then infused in fresh mountain water. Since the release, I've heard many people say it isn't sickly sweet or overpowering. I stayed skeptical as rose scents from other brands have been too sweet or sickly for me. So I was determined to physically test out and smell these products instead of ordering them direct online. I'm so glad to say that this range is just the right balance for me. After using it, there is a pleasant lingering of rose notes that don't make me want to gag.
After trying them out in person, I was more taken with the body care side. I thought the cosmetics range took too much effort as you had to build up the product to get more colour. I'm much too lazy and always running late to put in that extra effort so I steered clear.
I got one of the smaller pre-made gift packs which came with a full size 200ml British Rose Instant Glow Body Butter, and a smaller size of the 30ml British Rose Hand Cream, 60ml British Rose Shower Gel and 50ml Vitamin E Moisture Cream. Then I added on the full size 100ml British Rose Hand Cream, 250ml British Rose Shower Gel, 250ml British Rose Instant Glow Body Essence and the 100ml Vitamin E Moisture Cream.
The Instant Glow Body Butter retails at $36.95. I find some of their other body butters to be too oily on my hands after application. This version isn't and the consistency of the body butter is closer to cream. It feels super soft, light and at the same time feels super rich on moisture. There's a subtle glow on your skin as well as a nice light scent. I'll definitely be using this product heaps.
The Instant Glow Body Essence retails at $45.00 and is much lighter, almost a little watery but I found that it absorbs really fast into your skin (or maybe I just have tragically dry skin). There is a bit of a pearlescent glow and I was trying to figure out if it was because there's glitter in it. But it is a very even glow and I couldn't see any clumps of glitter on my skin. It comes in a handy pump bottle so even if it is on the watery side, the flow is easily controlled.
Now of course, I wouldn't buy a collection without getting the shower gel. I've been a fan of their shower gel even before I started using their body butters. In fact, it was this particular packaging design that made me really lust for this collection to come to New Zealand. I absolutely love the pink and black. The 250ml Shower Gel retails for $16.50.
Now I'm absolutely obsessed with all things hand cream because of my job. Due to consistently being in an air conditioned environment, I end up with super dry skin and so I always have a hand cream stashed somewhere close by so I can try to keep my hands from becoming too dry. So of course I'd get the hand cream. The 100ml Hand Cream retails for $23.95 which is a better deal than the smaller 30ml size which goes for $12.75. But the real rediscovery for me was the Vitamin E Moisture Cream which truly needs no introduction being one of The Body Shop's best sellers.
At the moment, you can receive a free gift with purchase when you spend $90 or more. You just have to purchase one pre-made gift or any product from the British Rose collection.
Love what the collection looks like on my table top! Going to leave it for a while longer! I'm sure my favourite is going to change with use, but at the moment, this entire collection is pretty high on my list.
Which one's your favourite?
